


Before The Dawn

by goldandsteel



Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Domestic, Established Raleigh/Mako, F/M, Herc is very loved tho, M/M, OT3, Polyamory, Smut, Threesome
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-10
Updated: 2013-12-10
Packaged: 2018-01-04 03:15:51
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,776
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1075877
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/goldandsteel/pseuds/goldandsteel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>If there's something Hercules learned is that love and loss, both, makes weird things to people.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Before The Dawn

**Author's Note:**

> I have no idea how or why I wrote it, I only know I have a new OT3 and I hope you guys like this. <3 Title inspired by Shake it Out from Florence + the Machine. Feedback is loved!

The kaiju war was over, but it took its toll on its soldiers, no one could ever argue.  
  
The three of them were eating by the square table the same dishes they always ate at Sundays; Raleigh enjoyed his spaguetti with a lot of enthusiasm and Mako and Herc were sharing a lasagna made with green pasta and cheese. They were finishing the bottle of wine when Mako’s eyes started to water and none of them had to ask why, a silence falling in the room.  
  
She, perhaps, had lost more than any of them.   
  
It hurt enough to lose his brother, Raleigh was sure as hell, so he couldn’t even start to imagine how hard it should be to lose a father twice. He and Mako had had this conversation and many others many times so it was of no use to try and repeat the same things when there was nothing left unsaid. He decided to just place his hand on her forearm and brush his thumb of her skin sweetly.  
  
She swallowed another gulp of wine trying to recompose herself before smiling at him. As soon as her glass was on the table, Herc held her other hand as well, not smiling like Raleigh - no one never did anything quite like Raleigh - but moving his mouth on a thin line that was most certainly a signal of understanding, for unfortunately he understood too. In fact he was, in her opinion, the closest to knowing exactly what she felt and he didn’t need to say a single word anymore.  
  
It took only some moments until the wave of angst and bitterness left her and she smiled to both of them, letting them go to finish their dishes. It could be a table of grief and sad longings but instead, the three of them found a good arrangement to stand the pain and keep living their lives. Now having a substantial pay-check in their accounts each month, they worked only in the military technology and strategy and felt the pleasure of having a house for the first time in many years.  
  
This didn’t last very long, though; Herc was falling into depression quickly and before things could get worst, Mako and Raleigh joined forces and brought him into their relationship. It started slowly, of course - first he was only spending weekends with them, then living with them, then sleeping with them (and he definitely had a better and dreamless sleep when near the couple) until he became a indivisible part of the thing.  
  
Naturally, in beginning Hercules had his own restrictions and put up a good fight to his intrusion - only to realize, at a drifting session with Mako, he was far away from being a nuisance. He never looked her as a daughter, just as Stacker was never seen as his brother, but it was still strange to him her reception and caring until the drift. Only then, Herc was able to see what and how much he really meant to her and to Raleigh as well; and that night, he climbed onto their bed and slept like a child without doubts.  
  
Maybe it wasn’t exactly healthy, the way the three of them clung to each other like castaways to a wood board, but it was all they had left and if it was, truly, always darkest before the dawn, maybe the sun was beginning to rise for them. As Mako played with her shoeless feet over a foot of each of them and ripped two smiles, she figured it was way more than enough.   
  
  


* * *

  
  
"Wow, that was good." The blond relaxed in his chair, a hand tapping lightly his belly. Mako smirked.  
  
"You always, _always_ say this, Raleigh.” She took the last piece of her food into her mouth and washed it down with a little wine, reclining in the chair as well.   
  
"It’s because it’s always good, Mako." Herc answered in place, receiving a glance of approval from his friend. He was the first to finish his meal, a lifetime of brief lunches ingrained in his appetite, and was supported by his elbows in the tablecloth leaning slightly in Mako’s direction. She extended a hand to caress his cropped hair.  
  
"The two of you talk as if I cooked the meal." Herc stared at Raleigh automatically with a bit of apprehension, but he just kept smiling at the scene so the older man allowed himself to close his eyes and enjoy the touch. In the drift, he saw that Mako loved him as well and Raleigh wanted him close too, but they had never crossed important boundaries; the greater thing Herc managed to do was sleep in their bed some nights to drive away his nightmares, leaving to sleep poorly at his single bed other nights so the couple could enjoy themselves.  
  
He wasn’t able to see in the drift if Mako and her love had any intention to bring Herc to the sexual aspect of their relationship, and he wasn’t sure if he wanted to know. For the first time in years, Herc was mildly happy - at least, as happy as he could be in the circumstances - and he surely wouldn’t be the one to insinuate anything and ruin the great thing they had.  
  
Which obviously didn’t mean he didn’t think about it when he was sandwiched between them, Mako’s soft breath at his back and Raleigh’s hand over his arm. Or when he was alone in bed, missing their warmness and their soft words. Or when he was in the shower, fisting his cock and trying to not imagine Raleigh’s hand instead of his and Mako’s lips at his nape, only to later be taken by a wave of shame and embarrassment at himself.  
  
When Mako’s hand retreated, he opened his eyes and found her face closer than before, brown round eyes looking at him sweetly. Herc’s breath failed for a second and even though they drifted only once and months before, he feared she could sense his thoughts and wishes. When she smirked, he realized she had absolutely no need of ghost drifting to know what he felt; she was the smarter of them, after all.   
  
Herc couldn’t help but divert his eyes to the blond man again, searching for anger, unhappiness, _something_ \- he found Raleigh crossing his arms and smiling wider, his eyebrows doing that thing that always made Mako smile. With a wave of something good inside his chest, he stared at the woman again and waited for her move.  
  
Mako considered speaking but changed her mind - she was never very brilliant with words regarding these matters - and raised her hand again to touch her friend’s face. If only Herc could let them take cake of him as well as they cared for each other; if only she could soothe his wounds and fill the dark space in his heart as Raleigh did for her and her, for him…  
  
"Mako…" Her name escaped Herc’s mouth softly, barely there, but holding a thousand things. She closed her eyes before kissing him, a subtle touch of her lips on his for only some seconds, and when Mako opened her eyes she saw his blue ones staring her with hesitation. Herc stared at the wine bottle, considering if she had drunk enough to be doing things to regret later, but none of them had more than two glasses during the meal and it’d take a lot more than that to make her drunk.   
  
Raleigh stood there in complete silence, a smirk on his face, being the most patient audience ever. How long he and Mako had been discussing the possiblity of inviting Herc to their love, he couldn’t even remember, but it seemed that the hour was never right. If Herc didn’t want to join them, nothing would have to change anyway; he liked his presence well enough and liked that they manage to make Herc live well too. But the way he was staring at Mako’s face and lips indicated that Herc would probably accept her invitation, if only he had courage to act.  
  
For what seemed years, Herc wondered what was the right decision, until realising he wanted the same thing she wanted from him: love. With all the courage he never needed to anything other than fight kaijuu, he closed the space between them kissing her and allowing his hand to touch her soft hair. Mako hummed, opening her lips without the need of a request and sighing against Herc’s mouth.  
  
The ginger wondered if he even remembered how to kiss, after so many years without this kind of contact, but the instinct kicked in fast enough and he held Mako’s face with determination as his tongue slipped into her mouth. She let out a little moan, just the hint of a sound, but it went straight to Herc’s cock - which made him blush furiously. Once Mako started to answer the kiss, he was suddenly really glad that a table was between them, blocking the vision any of them could have of his groin.  
  
Apparently, some years of celibacy could turn you into back into a hormonal horny teenager and Herc felt sorry that Mako would have to deal with this ridiculous state he was in. It was also somewhat hard to think when Mako’s lips were so soft against his and her tongue seemed to be fucking his mouth slowly so Herc felt himself melting in the chair, trying to pull her closer.  
  
A hand touched his right knee lightly and for a brief moment he was surprised that Mako’s hand would do that strange path if she could just touch his left leg - when the understanding punched the air out of him and he had to break the kiss to breathe, looking at his right. That was Raleigh’s hand in his leg; in a respectful point, at the knee cap, not near his thigh or crawling further. Just his hand standing there, thumb moving from one side to the other, waiting. When Herc finally managed to take his eyes off the hand and look directly at his friend, he found a expression that mixed curiosity, hesitation and caring in what could be called Becket’s Puppy Face No 5.  
  
The young woman never stopped touching his face and at last, everything clicked in place in Herc’s head. He felt himself blushing again - like a fucking teenager - and his eyes danced from one face to another. Neither of them were moving now; the couple only waited for his reaction, giving him space enough to decline and run away if he wanted to.  
  
It was the last thing Herc wanted.  
  
He removed Mako’s hand from his face to hold it in a firm grip and she smiled a little while he did the same to Raleigh’s. “Okay.” Herc said in a voice weaker than he would like, but it was loud enough so they could hear and a huge grin appeared in Raleigh’s face. The silence lingered again, this time comfortably, and Herc could almost taste the expectation they all felt.  
  
"Uh, should we go to the bedroom or…?" Mako giggled and pushed herself up from her chair, leaving with the empty dishes in the kitchen’s direction.  
  
"I was thinking we could watch a movie… It’s two p.m." He felt a flush of something hot and unpleasant going up his neck but the blond man got up too to rub his shoulders. Herc closed his eyes to enjoy the feeling of Raleigh’s hand over his t-shirt rubbing circles in his muscles.  
  
"Mako, leave the dishes on the sink, I’ll put them on the dishwasher. Let’s pick a title to watch." Raleigh shouted to be heard in the kitchen and Herc stood silent as the conversation flowed in high tones over his head. When she returned, looking happier than before the lunch, they moved to the couch and flipped through the available titles on the TV screen.  
  
Herc was sitting in the middle and soon, when an alternative french movie started on the screen, Mako and Raleigh rested their heads on his shoulders. He couldn’t help but smile and his smile turned into a nervous laugh before he could avoid it; the younger man raised his head to look at him and Herc stared at his friend’s clear eyes. Raleigh had, as usual, a light expression in his face and a loving warmness in his eyes; it was this warmness that made the older man close in and kiss him in the corner of his lips, still unsure if that was the right thing to do.   
  
Raleigh was having none of that, apparently. He smiled again before kissing Herc fully, with more force than Mako did but the same kindness, and Herc allowed the caress to wash over him again before they both turned their attentions to the movie. They three watched it exchanging light touches, entwining fingers and sharing laughters at the comical situations the movie pictured and never, in a lifetime, Herc thought such an odd situation could feel so perfectly normal.  
  
After the movie ended and something around thirty minutes of talk, Raleigh left to clean the mess the lunch made and Mako reclined over Herc’s chest, using him like a pillow.  
  
"You do know we love you, right?" Her tone was simple and her hand searched for his, making him sigh.  
  
"Yes, and I hope you know I love you too. Both of you." She squirmed against him and crossed his arm at her ribs, snuggling closer.  
  
"But you don’t have to love us like that." Herc smelled the subtle perfume of her hair and kissed it before replying.  
  
"I know I don’t have to. But I _do_.” She only hummed and they waited in silence for the blond man’s return. When he got near enough, Raleigh motioned as if he was going to throw himself completely and fall over them, making Mako yell and flinch, snapping in laughter.  
  
"I hate when you do it, Becket." He pulled her up and into his arms, rubbing his nose on hers for a moment.  
  
"You love it." Mako rolled her eyes at him.  
  
"No, I don’t." Herc was stifling a laugh when she offered her hand again to him, getting serious.  
  
"Wanna take a nap with us?" If a nap was only sleep or more, he wasn’t completely sure; but anyway, he wanted it. He grabbed her hand and the three of them walked towards the main bedroom, where a bed large enough for maybe four people was the love nest of the happy couple. Herc waited to see what they’ll do and the only piece of clothing removed was Raleigh’s socks, that he threw away before climbing into bed after his girlfriend.  
  
Following their lead Herc laid down slowly intending to stay by Mako’s side, but she rolled over him quick like a cat to stay in the sideways and make him be in the middle. He soon found himself amongst loving arms and innocent kisses placed all over his face, shoulders, hands and ears. For more he tried, he couldn’t find the willpower to suppress the lazy grin taking over his face.  
  
He let his hands roam over the body in front of him, that happened to be Raleigh’s, and touched his biceps, his chest over the tank top, his face, his hair with the serenity of a man who had all the time in the world. Mako was touching him the same way but the blond’s hands were a little bit more anxious, only a little more daring than the established rhythm and Herc noticed he liked that.  
  
It wasn’t surprising when Raleigh kissed him again, this time moving his lips in sync with his hands, and Herc soon surrendered parting lips and closing eyes. The kiss was astonishingly similar to Mako’s - who had absorbed who’s style? Herc chuckled to himself when he noticed it didn’t make any difference; it was too endearing and arousing to let him think such complex thoughts. He felt like he could kiss them forever and some more, and maybe a little beyond, but when Raleigh moved away only to kiss Mako instead and her hands slipped under Herc’s shirt, his brain shut down.  
  
The couple pretended not hear the heavy breath of the man under them, kissing languidly. Everything was going on just as they dreamed of - maybe even better - and Herc was looking so relaxed and glad they broke the kiss and traded a meaningful glance, the two of them turning to face the redheaded.  
  
Herc trembled when two pairs of hungry eyes stared him. He was all too aware of his own arousal and the growing heat in the room, but still unprepared for the way Mako kissed him and the scratch of her short nails in his chest. His whole body shook in a shiver of surprise and his hands flew to grab at her ass immediately, for which he would have apologized if her mouth wasn’t glued on his and if she hadn’t bucked in his direction.   
  
Their kiss turned into a battle for something that neither of them cared and Mako broke it only to scramble with his t-shirt and pull it out of the way. Trying to regain his breath, Herc wondered where was Raleigh before looking down and seeing him working to free the woman’s legs from her pants. Soon his hands were touching her pale skin and _fuck,_ if that wasn’t a great vision, Herc would probably not live through that afternoon to see what was.   
  
Mako seemed to get tired of his mouth and changed the direction of her kisses to his jaw and neck, making him melt on the bed. Herc finally let it go, hands splayed over the soft skin of the woman’s back still under her tank top, and allowed her to bite at his throat as she wished. Raleigh reappeared next to them and Herc even saw his hand sneaking under Mako’s clothing before his face was turned to the side and his mouth, kissed wildly.  
  
He could feel the blond’s hard-on against his hip and _shit, shit,_ with the way Mako was bucking against his own hard cock, Herc feared he wouldn’t last nothing. Raleigh’s tongue seemed to be mimicking the movement of his hips while he rubbed his clothed erection in Herc’s pants and that ripped the first moan from the older man; that and the sharp teeth of Mako in his flesh. Giving him space to breath, Raleigh let out a cocky smirk.  
  
The woman suddenly got away and sat at the bed, getting rid of her top and panties with little grace, and her whole body language seemed to change at the disrobing; she looked more sharp and dangerous, more _Mako_ , somehow. Herc’s eyes mapped every bit of skin they could see: the soft curve of her small breasts, the line of her tummy, the bruises on her hips, the dark triangle of pubes and before he knew, he was extending both hands in her direction to grab whatever was closer like a dying man reaching for salvation.  
  
She giggled while going slowly to his arms. Herc couldn’t help but admire the small smirk on her face, surrounded by blue strands of hair and crowned by her glowing eyes. Mako stared him before turning to gaze Raleigh, her eyes moving from one face to the other without knowing where to land. The blond decided by himself and nibbled at her neck, a hand touching the side of her breast and the other sliding over Herc’s skin.  
  
Somehow, Herc found her even prettier with an expression of soft delight written of her face. He kissed her mouth and allowed Raleigh’s smart hands to take his pants off, freeing his half-hard cock. The redhead honestly moaned when a hand wrapped itself around his cock and he felt like floating over his own body.  
  
How many years had passed since anything like that happened? The thought drowned in Mako’s mouth, in Raleigh’s hand and in his own fingers travelling idly over the two beautiful bodies presented to him. He loved them, they loved him and this love was seeping into his skin, blurting out of his mouth, hardening and softening and driving him crazy.  
  
How exactly the configuration was formed, he had no idea - and perhaps it was a good thing that Mako and Raleigh managed to keep a rational portion of their brains on because Herc’s was a lost cause - but he ended up laying on his side, his back at the blond. The woman drove his hand down in a request and he touched her, groaning at her wetness and circling her clit with the pad of his fingers making her writhe in the mattress. At soft words in his ear, Herc obeyed and entered her with a single finger, another following shortly. With Mako’s tongue fucking his mouth and being fucked by his fingers, little breathy moans and hands shaking along, and Raleigh’s hand fast on his cock, he was admired he hadn’t passed away yet.  
  
But the more the woman hummed against his lips, the more he was losing his mind; and it came to an unbearable point when he noticed Raleigh’s cock, hard and slick, sliding between his butt cheeks in sync with his rough hand. Herc had to turn his head up to breath, a groan being pushed out of his chest, because it was too fucking much; and when the couple joined their lips hovering over him in a clash of teeth and gasps, Herc came helpless and wonderfully.  
  
Mako followed him a few seconds later and her orgasm seemed to trigger the blond’s one, making him shake and come at Herc’s lower back. It was love, Herc thought dimly as the woman snuggled closer and Raleigh managed to pull them both in a tight hug, but not the kind of love Herc was used to feel, the one that twisted his guts and tensed his muscles. It was love without the weight of loss, without the grief and sorrow, with no regrets and tears.  
  
It was a love that instead of ripping him to pieces, filled and built him again. He found himself whispering nonsense, already drifting into sleep, while Mako answered sweet nothings and her boyfriend kissed his nape. Herc’s brain wasn’t able to process completely what they two were saying but as tiny bits of phrases slipped through his dizzy mind, he smiled with relief.  
  
Apparently he didn’t have to say a word, because Mako and Raleigh knew precisely how he was feeling.


End file.
